In Between
by recchinon
Summary: Ichigo lost his power, she wished she could be his power.  Set during the 17 months time skip  -SemiCanon-
1. Chapter 1

**In Between**

Standard Disclaimer Applied

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**_CHAPTER 1_**

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Orihime Inoue could only smile and respond nicely when the girls from the first year asking her the questions. She was in the sewing club room with few other members who were also her juniors. Ishida who was also the founder of the club now had become the student council president, leaving the club in her hand. She was glad when there were new members joined the club this year but when she learned the reason why, she felt a little disappointed.

"So, Ishida-senpai is single?"

"I can't believe it!"

The half-done plushies were forgotten on the table, the girls were too busy attacking the sweet auburn haired girl with so many questions about the dark haired man. Orihime had heard that Ishida was quite famous amongst the new students but she didn't expect the girl to question her so many things about him.

"So you are not his girlfriend?"

Orihime blushed at this question. She had been friend with Ishida for almost three years but she didn't date him. No of course not. She didn't—never—think of him that way. She was also sure that the guy didn't think of her that way.

She shook her head quickly, "No! We're friend, uh... That's all!" Besides she liked someone else, but she wouldn't tell them that, "I don't think Ishida-kun think of me that way..."

One of the girls nodded, "It's just... We heard rumors, you know... Some students often saw Senpai walk you home, so..." She shrugged, "but you said no. I believe Inoue-senpai anyway... Besides now I think about it, it wasn't only Ishida-senpai. Sometime even Sado-senpai walked you home."

"Ah really? Are you close with Sado-senpai too, Inoue-senpai?"

Orihime laughed nervously, "Yeah, we're friends... Sometime they walked me home."

"Whoaaa, I envy you, Senpai..." The girl with brown eyes pouted, "Ishida-senpai and Sado-senpai are really popular..."

"Really?" Orihime smiled, feeling proud of her friends. Sado and Ishida wasn't really popular back then when they were in the same class during their first year but now their juniors seemed to think the other way.

"Also Arisawa-senpai... You both are close, right, Senpai?"

This time she laughed, "Tatsuki-chan is my best friend! She is cool, isn't she?"

The girls nodded in unison. Though Tatsuki was a girl, they still idolized her just like they idolized their male seniors.

"But you're also popular, Senpai," said a girl with glasses, "the boys in my class are crazy about you."

The once forgotten blush was back to her face. She waved her hands to deny it, "No, that's not true, I'm not..."

"The boys in my class too!" The black haired girl said before Orihime could finish her sentence, "I think all boys in school are idolizing you, Senpai..."

"It's not..."

"I understand though, Senpai is beautiful and has great style..." The girls weren't listening to her denial, "Do you have a boyfriend, Senpai?"

"Ah, that's..." She stuttered and bit her lower lip, she darted her eyes to avoid the girls' and looked at her watch, "Uh, wow! Look at the time! We had to stop here... Well, thanks for today!" She chirped and stood up, "I have to go home, you all too... So, see you!"

Without even waiting for the replies, Orihime ran dashing out of the room.

That one question was a hard question. When someone had asked her that question in the past, she would have answered that she didn't have any. But now, that wasn't the right answer. She didn't know the right answer.

Orihime walked out of the school building. The sky had been reddened as the sun slowly hid itself. The school was almost empty except for the student who had some club activity.

Today Tatsuki had a club activity and Chad got some flu and couldn't come to school today. Ishida who was actually had to walk her home suddenly had to see the principal due to some matter she didn't understand. She had to walk home alone and she didn't really mind it actually. She did enjoy walking home alone.

She was strong and she was capable to take care of herself, she knew it. If only her friends knew that she had learned new moves from her practice with Yoruichi, maybe they would stop worrying about her.

She wasn't a kid anymore. She was in her final year now and she had grown up. She had grown taller by few centimeters and her hair had grown longer. Deep inside, she had been stronger too. She was...

"Inoue!"

There were few people who call her with her last name and someone who would call her last name with no suffix was only...

She turned to see someone ran toward her. She recognized him even from this far. That wasn't because of his bright orange hair which had grown a little longer. It was because...

"Kurosaki-kun," she smiled sweetly when he had stopped running few steps away from her. She recognized the uniform he was wearing and the sweat all over his face and exposed neck, "today's soccer club?"

Ichigo smirked, "Today's the last day, the contract ended today."

She nodded. She understood what he meant. Instead of joining one club permanently, Ichigo had been "lending" his strength to any club who agreed to pay him some money. Actually, Orihime thought that was a good idea. That wasn't about the money, but in her opinion, that way he wouldn't get bored with the club activity.

"You're going home?" He looked around as if to see if Tatsuki was around there, when he saw no one, he frowned, "Alone?"

She nodded, "Tatsuki-chan had practice today."

"And Ishida?"

"Ishida-kun has to see the principal," she smiled, a slight blush covered her pretty face, she has no reason to be shy around him actually, she was just nervous, and she couldn't do anything about it. "But I am okay! I can walk home alone, really..."

He sighed and shook his head, "Nah, I will walk you home, I'm done with the club anyway, just wait for a moment, I need to get changed."

She shook her head quickly, "No, it's okay Kurosaki-kun! You have part time job to do, and..."

"It's Thursday," he said, rolling his eyes, as if telling her to stop debating him, he had his mind settled. "You know I don't have work on Thursday. Really, Inoue, you should have told me when no one could walk you home!" He shook his head, "Tsk, that four eyes should have told me if he were busy." He didn't let her say anything she was going to say and pointed at the school gate, "Wait for me there. I'll be there soon."

She nodded, "Oh, okay."

Orihime sighed as she walked to the place he had pointed to her. It had been like this for some time now. The reason why she always had someone to walk her home was Ichigo. She didn't know why but he had insisted that she shouldn't walk home alone. And she wondered why her friends agreed with him.

It had been almost a year since Ichigo lost his shinigami power. She knew that he missed his power, also a certain someone who had given him the power in the first place. She felt so sorry because she couldn't do anything about that.

Though he had been insisting that she shouldn't walk home alone, somehow she had a feeling that he liked it better when Ishida or Sado walked with her rather than to walk her home himself. She wondered if to be alone with her made him feel uneasy. Maybe she shouldn't have asked him that question that day...

_"Do you miss Rukia?"_

She hadn't been the first one asking him the question actually. Their friends, Keigo for example, had asked him the same question. When they asked him that question usually he would shout at them and telling them to stop asking that stupid question but of course he wouldn't shout at her. He didn't tell her to shut up when she asked the question instead he sighed and looked at the sky above them.

_"Maybe," he said in a thoughtful tone, "I don't really understand, but sometime I wonder how was my life back then because, you know... I'm getting used with my life right now and it's kinda scary."_

She kind of understood though. It must have been not easy for him. She wanted to do something for him but she didn't know what, that's been why she would just smile and cheer him up as much as she could, in her own way. She couldn't give him any strength like Rukia had done but she knew, there should have been something she could do for him. To keep him happy.

It was not easy though.

"Yo, Inoue!"

Orihime plastered a smile on her face when she heard him calling her name. He still called her that way. She knew old habit die hard but it would be nice if sometime he called her by her first name.

"Kurosaki-kun..."

She had no right to complain though because she also couldn't call him by his first name. She didn't want to be rude...

"Let's go," he took her school bag and carried it together with his.

They were walking side by side for few more minutes before any of them said something.

"So," it was Orihime who broke the silence first, "how was soccer club?"

"It's okay," Ichigo shrugged, "they want me to be their permanent member."

"You said no?"

He snorted, "Of course! It was not bad to play soccer but it'll be boring to play soccer every day."

She nodded, she understood what he meant, "I like donuts but it will be boring to have only donuts for breakfast, lunch and dinner..."

He smirked and nodded, "You love donuts, huh?"

"Yes!" She grinned, "Don't you?"

"I don't hate them," he said as they keep walking.

Another few minutes passed without any of them saying something. She didn't really mind it. It was kind of awkward but it wasn't a bad awkwardness. It was a good one. She felt somehow relaxed.

"Let's go to Mister Donut this Sunday."

Surprisingly, it was Ichigo's who said it. She looked at him, a little surprised at the sudden invitation and waited a little longer, half expecting him to say something like bringing their other friends along with them but he said nothing.

So she smiled and nodded, "Yes!"

He smirked and said nothing else. Deep inside Orihime was dancing happily, it was a date! Well, not really, but still, she would spend some time with him and that was awesome.

"So," he broke the silence once again, "how was the club today?"

"Well, it was..." She tried to find the right adjective to explain it but she failed, "errr, the new members are, apparently, Ishida-kun's fans. We didn't do much, they were asking about Ishida-kun the whole time."

Ichigo snorted, "He has fans?"

Orihime smiled, "You do, too, Kurosaki-kun."

He rose an eyebrow, "Me?"

"Yup, you," she giggled, "You got many chocolates last Valentine."

He did. He got some chocolates from their juniors that it shocked his sisters when he brought home the gifts. He loved chocolates and he was taught not to throw away gifts so he ate them all.

She smiled when he didn't say anything about it.

"You're handsome, Kurosaki-kun."

He scowled deeper and looked at the girl, she did say unpredictable things sometime.

"Thanks?"

"You're welcome!" She said cheerfully.

They continued walking without saying anything anymore. It was only 15 minutes more walking before they reached her apartment and she wished she lived a little farther from their school only so they could walk together a little longer.

"So, here's your bag."

She took her bag back and muttered a small thank you to the taller man. They had stopped in front of her apartment door.

"So," he rubbed the back of his orange head, she was looking at her shoes and he wished she was looking at him when he was talking, "Err, see you tomorrow?"

"Okay, thanks, Kurosaki-kun, don't you want to have some tea first before you go home?" She still avoided his eyes. Something she always did when she felt nervous.

"No, maybe next time."

He wanted to go home but he wanted to see her face first. He didn't understand why she'd look away from him. It wasn't like she had to be shy around him, was it?

"Inoue,"

He called her name and she finally looked at him.

She closed her eyes instinctively when he leaned down and brushed his lips to hers in a gentle manner. He kissed her for less than three seconds before he pulled away, smug smile on his face and he turned around.

He waved his hand while walking away from the blushing girl.

"He kissed you."

Ichigo had been nowhere to be seen when the girl who had been standing not too far from Orihime said something. She had been there the whole time and saw everything.

Orihime blushed. She knew she had been there but he couldn't see her, if he knew they'd been watched, she was sure he wouldn't kiss her.

The raven haired girl walked to the taller girl, a smile plastered on her beautiful face, "So he wasn't a gay."

Orihime knew she was joking. She knew it very well, Ichigo wasn't a gay.

"How long have you been there? Isn't it cold?" Orihime asked the other girl as she tried to fish her keys from her bag, she found the key and opened the door, "Come in, Kuchiki-san..."

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_**author's note:**_

Another multichapters from me. :)

I am trying to write a 'semi canon' story and this story line is about during the 17 month timeskip. AND I NEED BETA FOR THIS STORY.

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PS: I will update Last chapter of Fake Love next week (^^)b and another chapter of After School.

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_**(Recchinon)**_


	2. Chapter 2

**In Between**

Standard Disclaimer Applied (may contain spoiler)

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**_CHAPTER 2  
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He wasn't stupid. Ichigo Kurosaki wasn't stupid. Regardless how he looked and behaved, Ichigo had always been smart enough to get higher scores than most of his friends.

Ichigo might not be the smartest person to figure out other people's emotion but he could feel it, lately, there had been so many people gave him that look whenever they thought he didn't see them. Those people were looking at him and then whispering something to each other before then quickly turned around and walked away when he glared back at them.

He wasn't stupid so he knew the reason why he got that kind of annoying treatment from those people. He didn't like it but he thought it'd be to troublesome to explain to those kids, his fist would be happy to explain things to them but since he knew a certain girl would be upset if he did that, he decided that wasn't a smart thing to do.

So, he didn't care anymore. They could stare at his back and talk about him the whole day and he wouldn't do anything. Besides he had nothing to explain them. He wouldn't give it a damn, he had been used having people staring at him, thanks to his bright orange hair.

those kids, his juniors at high school, might have heard rumors about him. There were rumors about how strong he was and how horrible his attitude was. The last one was definitely a bullshit but that didn't really disturb him. There had been another rumor which actually quite disturbed him.

"Kurosaki-kun!"

Ah, talk about timing...

Ichigo sighed before he turned and smirked at the auburn haired girl who was waving her hand cheerfully and ran toward him, completely oblivious by the people around them who were practically drooling or having their jaw dropped when they saw her calling his name.

The girl didn't realize it, he decided when she flashed him that beautiful smile, that those boys from year one and two were looking at her with an obvious wanting look in their eyes.

"Good morning," she greeted him as they continued walking side by side to their classroom.

"Mornin', you look happy."

Orihime grinned, "I am!"

He nodded, almost smiling. She had this effect to everyone. He had a feeling that she would be a great cheerleader, and oh the uniform would look nice on her too... He shook his head mentally. Imagining her in cheerleader uniform wasn't a good idea, not when he had her walking next to him, smiling innocently and talked about her favorite TV show last night.

But that was still true, though... She had been cheering him up this whole time. She had been there, cheering for him during his battle...

His battle...

He smacked his head mentally. He didn't need to think about it anymore. He was a normal high school student now, he didn't need to fight anymore now. Everything had been back to normal. Yeah, he had always wanted this, hadn't he?

"Kurosaki-kun, are you listening?"

"A, ah, sorry, what was it?"

She frowned. She felt it, he was thinking about something and though he didn't say it out loud, she could guess what was it about. She sighed secretly but kept a smiling face on.

"I was asking you, about this Sunday..."

He nodded, "Ah, of course! We're going to Mister Donuts. What's about it? You've another plan?"

She shook her head quickly, "No! I mean, uh, I just want to make sure that you remembered..." she blushed at the end of her sentence, realizing that she had thought that he might forget.

Ichigo wasn't angry. He smirked and pat her head, "I remember, silly."

Orihime went redder. Not only had he touched her, he also had called her silly. Maybe it was a simple gesture but coming from him, it was almost as romantic as kissing. Oh, the other people might not understand though but she had known him for three years now, she knew that he didn't do thing like this to everybody. She couldn't help but to feel special.

"So, we meet in front of station?" she asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

He nodded, "Though I'd be okay to pick you at your apartment."

"Ah, no need!" she shook her head quickly, "Ten o'clock in front of the station!"

He shrugged, "Ok."

"So, here we are."

They stopped in front of her class. She flashed him with that oh so beautiful smile.

"See you later, Kurosaki-kun!"

She waved before disappeared into her classroom. He waved back before shoving back his hand into his pocket and continued walking toward his classroom.

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Lunch time was boring for Ichigo with Ishida being the student council president and Chad got sick, he had to spend lunch time with Keigo and Mizuiro. Well, Mizuiro was fine and tolerable but sometime Keigo could be really annoying. For example, he kept asking about Rukia. He didn't even know how to answer so he wondered why he kept asking him the same question. He had lost his power and Rukia had gone back to soul society, Keigo had known that much and that was all he needed to know, so Ichigo really wished he didn't ask anything more.

Like whether he missed the little shinigami or not.

Of course Ichigo missed her, and the other too. But he didn't understand why they kept making it sounded like he missed her for another reason.

"So, Ichigo, may I ask you something?"

Ichigo just finished eating his lunch, glaring at the brown haired human with a killer look but said human didn't seem to notice it.

"What?" he groaned, "If it's about Rukia again, for the thousandth times, Keigo, I don't know why she hasn't come visiting, and no, I don't miss her."

Keigo grinned, Ichigo told himself secretly that killing someone was a crime and he wasn't a murderer. Though honestly he really tempted to kill the annoying guy in front of him. They were on the school rooftop at the moment. Throwing him from here wasn't a hard thing to do, really...

"It's not about Kuchiki-chan," Keigo looked at the smaller guy next to him, "we've been wondering about this for sometime now, right Mizuiro?"

The black haired guy with baby face nodded but said nothing.

Ichigo swallowed, if that wasn't about Rukia then he had no idea what was it about.

"Ok, go on."

Keigo grinned.

"Well, what we wanna know is," Keigo said with a wicked smile, "are you dating Inoue-san?"

Ichigo sighed.

He was expecting a harder to answer question rather than this one.

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"Accchoooooo!"

The beautiful auburn haired girl rubbed her nose. She frowned, she was sure that she wasn't sick or catch a cold. Maybe someone was talking about her at the moment. She sighed. She hoped they weren't talking bad about her.

"Orihime..." Tatsuki groaned, "Next time you sneezed, cover it with your palm, okay? I don't want to catch your virus!"

Orihime giggled, "Sorry... But there is no virus, don't worry, I'm not sick!"

Tatsuki growled but said nothing.

Both of the girl was on their usual spot, eating their lunch together. For the first time in this month, the dragon and the princess had to have their lunch together without their other friends. Since they were on their last year everybody had become busy with their own business. It was hard to spend time together anymore, especially now that they were all in different classes. Though they still tried to have lunch together whenever they had chance.

"By the way, Orihime, I am so sorry, I cannot take you home today..." Tatsuki made a sorry face, "I've talked with Ishida but seems like he's also busy..."

"Oh, it's okay, Tatsuki-chan!" She smiled, "You don't have to worry about me, Kurosaki-kun said he would take me home today..."

The black haired girl raised her brows, "Really? I thought he had club activity? What is it again? Soccer?"

Orihime shook her head, still smiling, "Nn, yesterday was the last day with soccer club. He hadn't decided what club to join next so he can take me home."

Tatsuki nodded. If Ichigo said he would take her home then she had no worry. She knew that Ichigo would protect the girl no matter what.

When she learned that Ichigo had lost his power, Tatsuki was worried. She had known him for so long. She knew he was a kind of guy who love to protect people around him. Without his power, he would feel helpless. At first, she thought that losing his power would change Ichigo, well it did change him at some point but she was glad because even now whenever she looked into his eyes, she still found that spirit in him. With or without power, he would never stop protecting people around him. That was the reason why she felt somehow relax when Ichigo walked Orihime home. If he were there with her, she knew, he would never let anything harm the beautiful princess.

She couldn't phrase it into words, but Tatsuki had a feeling that Ichigo had a feeling for her best friend. Maybe it was because she reminded him of his late mother but it could be something deeper. She knew Orihime had loved him for sometime now, she knew Orihime had chances with the scowling orange but she couldn't say it directly. She didn't want to interfere too deep into their love matters. Though for some reason, she had a feeling that those two had something going on between two of them now. She couldn't figure it out though.

"Say, Orihime..."

"Hmm?" Orihime smiled sweetly to the second strongest woman in Japan.

Tatsuki sighed, "Nah, nevermind..."

Maybe she shouldn't interfere...

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"Captain! Captaaaaaaaaaaain!"

The beautiful vice-captain of tenth division entered the captain office with a bored look on her face. She frowned when she found the room was empty. The white haired captain was no where to be seen. She was bored and expected to see her captain to be teased and felt so disappointed when she couldn't find the younger boy anywhere.

The blonde girl pouted. She wanted to tease his captain to get rid of her boredom but apparently her captain had gone somewhere. She sighed and was about to leave the room to find someone else to annoy, perhaps a certain black haired guy with tattoo on his face when she saw a little note on the table. She took the paper and realized that the note was from the captain.

It was a short note but she chuckled after she read it.

Rangiku grinned after she finished reading the note her captain left her.

"Ah, so he went to see her, eh?"

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**Author's Note: **

so this is it for second chapter :)

by the way, i had some ichihime cosplay shoot few weeks ago. :3 my avatar now is my cosplay as Ichigo. if you're interested to see, check out my deviantart : recchinon(dot)deviantart(dot)com


	3. Chapter 3

**In Between**

**Chapter 3**

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He hadn't talked with any of them for almost a week now. Oh, he was Uryuu Ishida by the way and they were Ichigo Kurosaki and Orihime Inoue. So, he hadn't talked with any of them since friday last week and now was Saturday, it's been more than a week, texts and phone calls didn't count of course.

The reason why he hadn't talked to any of them at all wasn't because he didn't want to or what, he was just being too busy with his activity as a student council president and a quincy. He even almost had no time for himself. Uryuu didn't complain of course, though he really tired and needed to spend more time with his friends, though he would never admit it openly. Uryuu realized he had responsibility, and pride, as the student council president and as a quincy. Especially, now that Ichigo had lost his power and Chad had been sick, he had to take care of the hollows in the area alone. He would never complain, not in front of his friends, but he did actually feel a little lonely.

To think about it again, it had been quite lonely since that stupid orange head he had to call friend lost his shinigami power. He understood though, they'd been together because of his power, because they'd been drawn by his power, but now that the power had gone they had less reason to be around him. Well, _he _had less reason to spend sometime with him since Chad had still hanged out with him sometime, and Orihime... Oh well he just had the feeling that the both orange heads had secret meetings just between two of them, oh he didn't care though.

Ok, he did care.

He cared about Orihime, a lot. No, it wasn't because he had some kind of romantic feeling for her like some people had accused him. True, he had been confusing his own feeling during the first year of their friendship but as time goes by slowly he understood that what he felt was a little different than love. If the longing looks she wore whenever she looked at that deathberry was love, then he was sure, his feeling for her was not like that.

Orihime was really pretty and attractive, of course as a man he had to admit it. She was a little weird but she was also so kind and funny. He loved her like a sister.

Oh no, it wasn't quite like that...

No, not a sister. He decided it might be weird but his love for her was almost like a love from a father to his daughter. It was weird indeed since they had been classmates once but that was just how he felt about her.

Watching her growing up from a naive fifteen year-old girl into an amazingly beautiful seventeen year-old girl, Ishida thought this must be a kind of feeling a father would felt watching his daughter grew up.

"Oi, Ishida!"

Uryuu pushed up his glasses with one hand before turned to see the girl who had just called him. He knew who was it from her voice.

"Arisawa-san," Uryuu stood still as the girl walked from the other end of the school corridor she waved a hand lazily and he just nodded.

"Yo! Busy again?" She asked, one hand which wasn't holding her bag was on her slender hips.

Uryuu sighed and nodded, "I am supposed to attend a meeting today."

Tatsuki nodded, "I see," they continued walking to the direction he was heading before, apparently Tatsuki also headed to the same direction, "so you can't take Orihime home again today?"

"I'm afraid not, I've informed her though," he looked at the girl from the corner of his eye, "you will walk her home, won't you?"

Tatsuki sighed and shook her head, "unfortunately, I can't!" She explained with a frown plastered on her face, "I have to go somewhere."

Uryuu narrowed his eyes, if he didn't knew better he would have thought that the raven haired girl didn't care for the Karakura idol's well-being. Fortunately he knew how much the dragon care for the princess. It was like, if he was playing the dad role then she was playing the mother role.

"So," Uryuu wasn't stupid, there was a reason why Tatsuki looked so calm when both of them couldn't walk Orihime home, "I guess Kurosaki walks her home again today."

Tatsuki smirked, "yeah."

It was not a secret anymore. Anyone with their right mind would be able to see it. Orihime liked, ah scratch that, she LOVED Ichigo. Uryuu knew, though he didn't really like Ichigo, this was a good chance for both teenagers to get closer.

After what had happened during the winter war, they deserved this. Uryuu sighed. He didn't like Ichigo Kurosaki but if he were the one she wanted then he wished the orange head wouldn't do anything stupid that would make her cry.

However he was still feeling worried, now that Ichigo had lost his power, he couldn't protect Orihime properly if by any chance some hollow attacked them on their way home.

He tried not to worry about it though. He knew that lately Orihime had secret practice with the cat woman from Urahara shouten. Well it wasn't really a secret but Orihime insisted that she didn't want Ichigo to know about this.

"So," Tatsuki cut his train of thought, "next week you're gonna be less busy or what?"

Uryuu nodded, "I guess so, next week I promised I will walk her home myself."

Tatsuki smirked, "Ah, she'll get a little disappointed I guess..."

"What did you say?"

"Nah, I'm going this way, bye, Ishida!" Tatsuki walked away, waving her hand without facing the glasses man.

Ishida pushed up his glass and snorted, "I had a feeling she didn't really have things to do, she just want to make Kurosaki walks Inoue home."

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"Are you sure I don't have to pay?" One of the daughters of Kurosaki looked at the older man with a scowl that looked similar to his brother's. The blonde man just laughed and flipped open his fan, "these look expensive."

"Don't worry," Urahara Keisuke waved his hand cheerfully, "I am in debt to your brother. You can have them."

"Oh, okay..." Karin didn't looked happy with that though. Her eyes were wandering across the room until she saw a glasses box with multicolor lollipops inside, "those candies, they're normal candy, aren't they?"

Urahara looked at the candies, "ah yes, they are. Really popular amongst kids and women..."

"I will pay for those," the black haired girl pulled out her wallet, "give me three of those."

The ex-shinigami captain blinked few times before then smiled, "ah, of course... It'll be 320yen then."

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"You should have let him gave those things for free."

Karin huff-ed, "no way, I have my pride."

"He is in debt with your brother."

"Yeah, but I am not brother."

Both of them continued walking. She had her school back in one hand and plastic bag from _Urahara shouten_ in other hand. He had offered her to bring them for her but she would never let him.

They didn't walk to the direction of her house. Instead they walked to the small park few blocks away from her house. They had been coming to the park quite often now.

Karin sat on the bench. She didn't say anything when the boy sat next to her. He didn't look at her. His face was cold like usual. She didn't care though.

"What did you buy this time?"

Karin looked into her plastic bag, "not much, I am just restocking some anti hollow spray." She pulled out the can of the said spray and show it to the boy, "I had to spray this to him when he was sleeping so he wouldn't be attacked by hollow when he was alone."

"If he knew about this, he'll get angry."

Karin snorted, "he would thank me later."

He took the can from her and read what was written on it. She watched the white haired boy seriously inspecting the can. She still didn't understand though why he was there.

"So, why are you here?" She was scowling, not as deep as his brother's though, "I thought a captain is really busy."

"Well, I am busy."

She snorted again.

"I'm here for a work," he returned the can to the girl so she could put it back into the plastic bag, "and I wouldn't tell you even if you asked."

Karin rolled her eyes, "I won't ask."

"Good."

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"Rukia-chaaaaan!"

Turned around and smiled when she saw a beautiful woman waving at her.

"Rangiku-san," she nodded.

"Hey, want to go drinking with me?" The beautiful vice-captain smiled sexily to the raven haired vice-captain.

Rukia laughed, "Why me? Usually you asked the guys."

Rangiku pouted, "They're all busy. I'm bored to dead. Besides, we've never been spending time together ever since you've promoted as vice captain."

The small girl smiled, "Sorry but I don't drink. Nii-sama would be upset if he knew..."

"Well, he didn't have to know," suggested the older woman.

Rukia shook her head, "ah, we can just go to the tea house if you want, it's lunch time so I guess my captain wouldn't mind if I go out for a while. I heard they have the best _castella_ cake at the tea house."

Rangiku pouted, she didn't really like tea but the cake didn't sound half bad, besides she had many things she wanted to hear from the younger girl, "oh okay then... Let's go!"

The taller girl knew Rukia had been visiting Karakura town lately and there were things she wanted to hear from the girl.

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_**Author's Note:**_

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Sorry no ichihime scene in this chapter.

I can try to update faster if you leave me review, maybe.

Ciao.


	4. Chapter 4

**In Between**

**Chapter 4  
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"A date, it's must be a date."

The twin sisters were in the kitchen that morning. Karin was watching TV while Yuzu was making something that smelt like butter cookies. They were talking about their orange haired brother of course, the one who had just running down the stairs, telling them that he had to go and went out their house in a lightning speed.

"A date? Onii-chan?" Yuzu laughed a little, she mixed the flour and the other ingredients skillfully, though Karin couldn't see her from their current position, she rolled her eyes, "Yeah, sure..."

Karin sighed, "You didn't see it?"

"See what?"

"He was in hurry."

"So?"

"Which means he was late."

It was unusual. It wasn't like Karin at all. Usually Karin was the one who hated the most when someone kept beating around the bushes. This time it was Yuzu's turn to sigh. She stopped mixing the flour to turn and look at her twin sister. Karin was still watching the television but Yuzu knew that she knew she was looking at her.

"And?"

Karin turned off the TV to see his now frowning sister. The black haired girl smirked knowingly. She loved his sister dearly but that didn't mean she never teased her. Karin knew how much attached is the other girl to their older brother. At time like this Karin had her guilty pleasure in teasing her twin about their _Onii-chan._

"Yuzu, he was late," Karin managed her straight face only to give better impact, "but he still had time to fix his hair and wore his best t-shirt and jeans. And oh, he was wearing cologne too," she almost smiled when she saw Yuzu's face, "which mean he wanna impress whoever it is he wanna see today."

Yuzu didn't say anything for the first few seconds.

Karin smirked and counted silently.

_One._

_Two._

_Three._

"ONII-CHAN HAS A DATE TODAY?"

Karin shrugged, "Don't you think so?"

* * *

><p>Orihime looked at her watch again. She had been there for forty minutes and still her Kurosaki-kun was still no where to be seen. Well, it wasn't his fault though, she was the one who came twenty five minutes earlier. No one could blame her though, it was a date with her beloved Kurosaki-kun, she had every right to be excited. However he had been almost twenty minutes late and she started to worry.<p>

The long haired girl chewed her lip. How if there had been something happened to him on his way to their meeting place? How if there had been a hollow attacking him? Orihime shook her head from the terrifying thought. Impossible. If there had been a hollow, she would be able to sense it. Ishida and Sado would also sense it and they would handle it before it could reach Ichigo.

To think about it, it was their first real date since they started going out. Well, if it could be defined as going out. She didn't really remember when it had started exactly. She hadn't had a chance to tell him her feeling clearly and of course he never told her about his feeling too. It happened just naturally. She didn't know how it started. Maybe it was that day when he walked her home for the first time and _accidentally _holding her hand. Or maybe it was that day when she hugged him crying when he got punched on his face when he tried to help her from a bunch of delinquent students, he won of course and that one punch meant nothing to him, he was just being too careless, but she threw herself to him, hugging his neck and crying on his shoulder. Or maybe it was that rainy day when Ichigo had to wait for the rain to stop in Orihime's apartment, she forgot who started it but that day they both shared their very first kiss.

Orihime blushed at the memory of the kiss that day. Sure he had kissed her few more time after that day but the kiss that day was special, however it had been her first kiss.

"Inoue!"

Orihime let out a relieve sigh when she saw a tall figure was running toward her. She smiled and waved her hand excitedly. She was glad that her Kurosaki-kun was alright. It didn't matter for her whether he was late one or two hours. She was just glad that he was fine and didn't look like harmed at all. When he arrived in front of her, trying to catch his breath, she could see that he had been running his way here. She pulled out a handkerchief and gave it to the taller man to wipe his sweat. She wanted to wipe the sweat herself but somehow she felt too embarrassed to do that.

"I am sorry, I am late!" he gave her an apologetic look.

Orihime grinned widely and shook her head. Of course she didn't care about him being late.

"It's okay, Kurosaki-kun, I don't mind even if I had to wait for one hundred years!" she said excitedly, "Maybe they would make a statue for me? Just like the one they made for Hachiko?"

Ichigo laughed.

"What are you? A dog?"

"I will be a Siberian Husky if I were a dog," she said excitedly, blushed a little when Ichigo grabbed her hand and asked her to start walking but then she continued talking with the same energetic tone, "or a Doberman?"

"A doberman? You?"

"Hmm, since I am not a man it would be a Doberwoman? Eh... Kurosaki-kun? Why are you laughing?"

* * *

><p>The tenth division's captain was hidden behind the piles of paperwork. He remembered very well, before he left he had given a clear order to his vice captain to do at least her share of works but of course he shouldn't have expected too much from the older woman. Not only hadn't she touched the paperwork he left, now she was also disturbing him doing it by asking so many silly questions about a certain human girl he met when he had been leaving the Seireitei.<p>

"So Captain, you haven't told me, how was your date?"

The captain was a patient one, really, he should have a new vice captain one of this day, really...

"What was her name again? Kurosaki-chan? Ah Kurosaki Karin-chan?"

Toshiro sighed. He slammed the paper to the table, "Matsumoto, if you can't help me with this paper, can you at least not disturbing me?"

Rangiku pouted. Her captain was being shy as usual. She, however, took some paper from the table and read it casually.

"By the way, how was it captain?" Rangiku put back the paper on the table, "I heard Captain Byakuya was calling for you. So, how was it?"

The white haired boy sighed, he rested his cheek on one hand while his other hand still holding the paper he was reading, "It's about time, Matsumoto, Ninth Division had sent his people to check on it yesterday. I've met Urahara he said he understand his job here but again that man is hiding something."

Rangiku sighed, she looked bored, "It will be end sooner if they could just give Ichigo his power back."

For the first time since she entered the office, the younger boy put down the paper and looked at the woman. He was scowling, "It wasn't that easy, Matsumoto."

Rangiku tilted his head and touched her index finger to her glossy lips as she was thinking for few seconds. She surprised the captain when she suddenly stood up and walked toward the door.

"Where're you going, Matsumoto?"

"It's boring here, Captain, I wanna go visiting Orihime-chan," she paused when she reached the door and smirked naughtily, "_ganbatte ne, Toshiro-chan~_"

Rangiku managed to close the door in time and ran away as a bottle of ink, threw by the captain, hit the solid door.

* * *

><p>Ichigo Kurosaki smiled when he saw the expression of the girl in front of him. She ate the donut as if that had been the most delicious thing in this world. He was glad that such a simple thing like treating her some donuts could make her this happy. He had never seen anyone eating a donut with such a face.<p>

_Cute._

He never said it out loud but he had always thought that she was cute. And beautiful.

Even before that day when he kissed her for the first time. Before that day when he hold his time for the first time. It had been far before that. Before the Hueco Mundo incident. It had been before he got his power. Ever since he saw her he had silently admitted that she was cute, not only her face but also her behavior. He had seen her as an attractive girl since long time ago but it had just been recently since he realized that he had been actually attracted to the girl.

She had been always there for him. She would never know how much she meant for him. He could never express it with word, he was not a sweet talker, but he had done so many things that people wouldn't think a man like him could do for her. He could only hope that she could understand how he felt about her.

Now that he had lost his power there hadn't been much he could do for her. He couldn't protect her the way he did before but it didn't mean he would stop protecting her. Sometime he thought that it was not the power he missed but the ability to protect people he loved. He had this nightmare about what had happened in Hueco Mundo, about his fight with Ulquiorra with her watching them, only this time he had no power. He hated this feeling so much. He hated feeling weak like this.

"Kurosaki-kun? Why are you looking at me like that?" Orihime bit her donut and tilted her head, wondering how long had he stared at her face like that.

Ichigo smirked, "You're a messy eater."

He used his index finger to wipe some strawberry cream on her little nose.

She blushed when he then licked his finger clean.

He maybe didn't realize how sexy he was when he did that.

She knew it. Ever since they entered the shop there had been woman who had their eyes on Ichigo. He never really realized it but she knew really well how attractive he was. She could see how those woman were batting their lashes at him. She thanked God though that sometime Ichigo could be really dense when it came to things like this.

He was handsome, tall, strong, and he can be really funny sometime. Orihime couldn't find a reason why a woman shouldn't fall in love with him. She wasn't a real competitive type but only for this matter she didn't want to lose. She knew she was nothing compared to Rukia but she had learned that she shouldn't compare herself to anyone. She knew if it were about her feeling for Kurosaki-kun, she could never lose. She just loved him so much that she didn't think there had been someone who could love him as much as she loved him.

She knew she had been too conceited there.

"So," Ichigo said when Orihime chewed on her last donut, "after this, is there any place you want to go to?"

Orihime thought for a moment. To be honest, she had nowhere in particular in her mind but she still wanted to be with him longer today.

"Ah!" she smiled at the idea, "I need to buy some laces!"

Ichigo scowled, "Laces?"

Orihime nodded, "Yes, it's for the club," she explained, "Our club would have a puppet show for the school festival next month. I need to do something for the princess doll."

"You're going to play the princess?"

Orihime nodded, "Yes! And guess who'll be the knight in shining armor?"

Ichigo shuddered.

He had and idea and he didn't like it, "Don't tell me..."

Orihime grinned.

"Ishida?"

* * *

><p>"ACHOO!"<p>

"Ew, that's nasty, Quincy-kun."

"I have a name, Matsumoto-san," Ishida frowned as he rubbed under his nose then he glared at the older woman who sat on the same sofa with him, "and by the way, you haven't tell me what are you doing in Inoue-san's apartment?"

Rangiku pouted, "Ah, I came here to visit Orihime-chan but she's not here, I am so bored when you rang the bell and I don't want to wait for her alone, that's why I asked you to kindly accompany me until she came home," she explained, "and why are you here? What's your name again?"

"Ishida, my name is Ishida," Ishida pushed his glasses, he sighed, he didn't know why he let the woman drag him in. This was wrong. They shouldn't be here when Orihime wasn't here. He was about to protest about Rangiku rude action when he remembered the reason why he had been there in the first place, "ah the reason why I am here is to check on Inoue-san."

Rangiku raised an eyebrow, "Check on her, wh- ah!"

Ishida stood up, "You felt that too right? I've felt that since last night, it's getting stronger just now."

Rangiku sighed, apparently she had come to the living world at such a bad timing.

"This is not good..."

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_._

**_Author's Note:_**

_It's been long time since I update this but I never planned to abandon any of my story, it's just about time before I update. Not the best chapter but I hope still enjoyable enough.  
><em>


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